Poem of the Day
Poetry Contest Description
One poem a day, not written by you, whoever gets there first.
Not really a competition. Post a poem not written by you that you have enjoyed. One poem a day. Whoever gets there first. For the format start with date "Today is...." followed by "the poem for today is" and then the poem. I will post one as an example.
Today is Saturday March 24th 2012 and the poem for today is "Another Night in the Ruins" by Galway Kinnell
1
In the evening
haze darkening on the hills,
purple of the eternal,
a last bird crosses over,
‘flop flop,’ adoring
only the instant.
2
Nine years ago,
in a plane that rumbled all night
above the Atlantic,
I could see, lit up
by lightning bolts jumping out of it,
a thunderhead formed like the face
of my brother, looking down
on blue,
lightning-flashed moments of the Atlantic.
3
He used to tell me,
“What good is the day?
On some hill of despair
the bonfire
you kindle can light the great sky—
though it’s true, of course, to make it burn
you have to throw yourself in ...”
4
Wind tears itself hollow
in the eaves of these ruins, ghost-flute
of snowdrifts
that build out there in the dark:
upside-down ravines
into which night sweeps
our cast wings, our ink-spattered feathers.
5
I listen.
I hear nothing. Only
the cow, the cow
of nothingness, mooing
down the bones.
6
Is that a
rooster? He
thrashes in the snow
for a grain. Finds
it. Rips
it into
flames. Flaps. Crows.
Flames
bursting out of his brow.
7
How many nights must it take
one such as me to learn
that we aren’t, after all, made
from that bird that flies out of its ashes,
that for us
as we go up in flames, our one work
is
to open ourselves, to be
the flames?
1
In the evening
haze darkening on the hills,
purple of the eternal,
a last bird crosses over,
‘flop flop,’ adoring
only the instant.
2
Nine years ago,
in a plane that rumbled all night
above the Atlantic,
I could see, lit up
by lightning bolts jumping out of it,
a thunderhead formed like the face
of my brother, looking down
on blue,
lightning-flashed moments of the Atlantic.
3
He used to tell me,
“What good is the day?
On some hill of despair
the bonfire
you kindle can light the great sky—
though it’s true, of course, to make it burn
you have to throw yourself in ...”
4
Wind tears itself hollow
in the eaves of these ruins, ghost-flute
of snowdrifts
that build out there in the dark:
upside-down ravines
into which night sweeps
our cast wings, our ink-spattered feathers.
5
I listen.
I hear nothing. Only
the cow, the cow
of nothingness, mooing
down the bones.
6
Is that a
rooster? He
thrashes in the snow
for a grain. Finds
it. Rips
it into
flames. Flaps. Crows.
Flames
bursting out of his brow.
7
How many nights must it take
one such as me to learn
that we aren’t, after all, made
from that bird that flies out of its ashes,
that for us
as we go up in flames, our one work
is
to open ourselves, to be
the flames?
Anonymous
DESPAIR
My fragile despair died softly
Under the ministrations of your gentle hands
Your hands worshipped my rose
Your desire enhanced mine
With exquisite subtlety
You drove the passion in me
Until I reached ecstasy
The despair died silently
My fragile despair died softly
Under the ministrations of your gentle hands
Your hands worshipped my rose
Your desire enhanced mine
With exquisite subtlety
You drove the passion in me
Until I reached ecstasy
The despair died silently
I haven't done a a poem of the day in a long time.
**********************************************
Today is Tuesday May 29th 2012 and the poem for today is:
"(Poem #139) Buffalo Bill's/ defunct"
by ee cummings.
Buffalo Bill's
defunct
who used to
ride a watersmooth-silver
stallion
and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat
Jesus
he was a handsome man
and what i want to know is
how do you like your blueeyed boy
Mister Death
**********************************************
Today is Tuesday May 29th 2012 and the poem for today is:
"(Poem #139) Buffalo Bill's/ defunct"
by ee cummings.
Buffalo Bill's
defunct
who used to
ride a watersmooth-silver
stallion
and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat
Jesus
he was a handsome man
and what i want to know is
how do you like your blueeyed boy
Mister Death
Today is Wednesday, 30th of May and the poem of the day is:
The Minotaur by Ted Hughes
The mahogany table-top you smashed
had been the broad plank top
of my mother's heirloom sideboard-
mapped with the scars of my whole life.
That came under the hammer.
That high stool you swung that day
demented by my being
twenty minutes late for baby-minding.
'Marvellous!' I shouted, 'Go on,
smash it into kindling.
That's the stuff you're keeping out of your poems!' And later, considered and calmer,
'Get that shoulder under your stanzas
and we'll be away.' Deep in the cave of your ear
the goblin snapped his fingers.
So what had I given him?
The bloody end of the skein
that unravelled your marriage,
left your children echoing
like tunnels in a labyrinth.
Left your mother a dead-end,
brought you to the horned, bellowing
grave of your risen father
and your own corpse in it
The Minotaur by Ted Hughes
The mahogany table-top you smashed
had been the broad plank top
of my mother's heirloom sideboard-
mapped with the scars of my whole life.
That came under the hammer.
That high stool you swung that day
demented by my being
twenty minutes late for baby-minding.
'Marvellous!' I shouted, 'Go on,
smash it into kindling.
That's the stuff you're keeping out of your poems!' And later, considered and calmer,
'Get that shoulder under your stanzas
and we'll be away.' Deep in the cave of your ear
the goblin snapped his fingers.
So what had I given him?
The bloody end of the skein
that unravelled your marriage,
left your children echoing
like tunnels in a labyrinth.
Left your mother a dead-end,
brought you to the horned, bellowing
grave of your risen father
and your own corpse in it
Today is Thursday May 31st and the poem of the day is:
The Self and the Mulberry
by Marvin Bell
I wanted to see the self, so I looked at the mulberry.
It had no trouble accepting its limits,
yet defining and redefining a small area
so that any shape was possible, any movement.
It stayed put, but was part of all the air.
I wanted to learn to be there and not there
like the continually changing, slightly moving
mulberry, wild cherry and particularly the willow.
Like the willow, I tried to weep without tears.
Like the cherry tree, I tried to be sturdy and productive.
Like the mulberry, I tried to keep moving.
I couldn't cry right, couldn't stay or go.
I kept losing parts of myself like a soft maple.
I fell ill like the elm. That was the end
of looking in nature to find a natural self.
Let nature think itself not manly enough!
Let nature wonder at the mystery of laughter.
Let nature hypothesize man's indifference to it.
Let nature take a turn at saying what love is!
The Self and the Mulberry
by Marvin Bell
I wanted to see the self, so I looked at the mulberry.
It had no trouble accepting its limits,
yet defining and redefining a small area
so that any shape was possible, any movement.
It stayed put, but was part of all the air.
I wanted to learn to be there and not there
like the continually changing, slightly moving
mulberry, wild cherry and particularly the willow.
Like the willow, I tried to weep without tears.
Like the cherry tree, I tried to be sturdy and productive.
Like the mulberry, I tried to keep moving.
I couldn't cry right, couldn't stay or go.
I kept losing parts of myself like a soft maple.
I fell ill like the elm. That was the end
of looking in nature to find a natural self.
Let nature think itself not manly enough!
Let nature wonder at the mystery of laughter.
Let nature hypothesize man's indifference to it.
Let nature take a turn at saying what love is!
Today is June 23, 2012. The poem of the day is:
Dream Of Life
as a deep sleep fell over me
my dreams revealed my life
I was walking down the path of life
my heart was broken and filled with sorrow
wasn't paying attention where I was going
don't know how far I walked into the night
the grass and trees were all brown and fading
the path was long, narrow and dark
suddenly I was a child again
memories of a painful childhood brought tears
felt the insecurity of my heart and soul
a part of why I am who I am now
the past that still haunts me today
I could feel the tears run down my cheek
couldn't awaken to dry them
saw the many loves in my life
who have come and gone thru my heart
some of whom which have never healed
others aren't even a memory any more
thoughts scattered thru my weary mind
my pillow was soaked by the falling rain
as I raised my head to look up
I was standing at the bottom of a hill
there was a lonely tree and a wide path
when I reached the tree it was amazing
stood there looking down in the valley
grass like a green carpet laid before me
trees had beautiful purple blooms on them
animals walking and running everywhere
suddenly I saw you walking towards me
almost turned away with fear
as you got closer you stopped
you lifted your eyes so I could see them
tenderness, understanding, passion
they shimmered with outpouring love
you held out your hand to me
slowly I walked towards you reaching
when our hands touched my body shivered
your sweet cologne filled the fresh air
you gently wiped the rain from my cheek
as I awakened from my paradise with you
thoughts scattered thru my happy mind
Dream Of Life
as a deep sleep fell over me
my dreams revealed my life
I was walking down the path of life
my heart was broken and filled with sorrow
wasn't paying attention where I was going
don't know how far I walked into the night
the grass and trees were all brown and fading
the path was long, narrow and dark
suddenly I was a child again
memories of a painful childhood brought tears
felt the insecurity of my heart and soul
a part of why I am who I am now
the past that still haunts me today
I could feel the tears run down my cheek
couldn't awaken to dry them
saw the many loves in my life
who have come and gone thru my heart
some of whom which have never healed
others aren't even a memory any more
thoughts scattered thru my weary mind
my pillow was soaked by the falling rain
as I raised my head to look up
I was standing at the bottom of a hill
there was a lonely tree and a wide path
when I reached the tree it was amazing
stood there looking down in the valley
grass like a green carpet laid before me
trees had beautiful purple blooms on them
animals walking and running everywhere
suddenly I saw you walking towards me
almost turned away with fear
as you got closer you stopped
you lifted your eyes so I could see them
tenderness, understanding, passion
they shimmered with outpouring love
you held out your hand to me
slowly I walked towards you reaching
when our hands touched my body shivered
your sweet cologne filled the fresh air
you gently wiped the rain from my cheek
as I awakened from my paradise with you
thoughts scattered thru my happy mind
Today is Friday June 1st and the poem of the day is:
Psalm
- George Oppen
Veritas sequitur ...
In the small beauty of the forest
The wild deer bedding down—
That they are there!
Their eyes
Effortless, the soft lips
Nuzzle and the alien small teeth
Tear at the grass
The roots of it
Dangle from their mouths
Scattering earth in the strange woods.
They who are there.
Their paths
Nibbled thru the fields, the leaves that shade them
Hang in the distances
Of sun
The small nouns
Crying faith
In this in which the wild deer
Startle, and stare out.
Today is June 4th The poem of the day is...
Desire
In the still of the evening
Without sunlight to intrude
I see the twilight's in your eyes
As the moon sets up the mood
Playing music soft and low
While romance fills the air
I can't help but feel aroused
The very moment you come near
You submit to my embrace
While candles flick their flame
And the smell of sweet perfume
Seems to drive my lust insane
As I look into your eyes
And run my fingers through your hair
I taste the sweetness of your neck
As I nibble at your ear
I then whisper words of love
As you answer with a sigh
And in a very sexy way
Your sweet body comes alive
Your the heat of my desire
As we slowly come undress
I then start to lay you down
While you welcome my caress
With your luscious sexy curves
You have a taste I can't resist
And your breast show some response
When I touch them with a kiss
As I soak inside your love
To a sexy love condition
Feeling passions start to rise
While making love in all positions
You give me so much pleasure
For ecstasy is here
With you wrapped inside my arms
To this heated love we share
Now no one can come close
To this love that we inspire
For only you can fill this joy
And the heat of my desire
Cindy Moon 1943
Desire
In the still of the evening
Without sunlight to intrude
I see the twilight's in your eyes
As the moon sets up the mood
Playing music soft and low
While romance fills the air
I can't help but feel aroused
The very moment you come near
You submit to my embrace
While candles flick their flame
And the smell of sweet perfume
Seems to drive my lust insane
As I look into your eyes
And run my fingers through your hair
I taste the sweetness of your neck
As I nibble at your ear
I then whisper words of love
As you answer with a sigh
And in a very sexy way
Your sweet body comes alive
Your the heat of my desire
As we slowly come undress
I then start to lay you down
While you welcome my caress
With your luscious sexy curves
You have a taste I can't resist
And your breast show some response
When I touch them with a kiss
As I soak inside your love
To a sexy love condition
Feeling passions start to rise
While making love in all positions
You give me so much pleasure
For ecstasy is here
With you wrapped inside my arms
To this heated love we share
Now no one can come close
To this love that we inspire
For only you can fill this joy
And the heat of my desire
Cindy Moon 1943
Today is Wednesday June 6, 2012 The poem of the day is:
One Day For You
I pray that one day for you to find your love
even though she would take you from me
can feel your loneliness and your tears drop
as mine now splash upon my chest
like the sapphire ocean splashes against the rocks
I try hard to be the one you desire and need
knowing in my efforts that it will never be
pray that a beautiful lady as you deserve will be yours
to hold, caress, cuddle, laugh, share all your days with
spend all your nights loving and caring for her
that she would love you as I would if you were mine
untill then the love and heart of this lady will be yours
One Day For You
I pray that one day for you to find your love
even though she would take you from me
can feel your loneliness and your tears drop
as mine now splash upon my chest
like the sapphire ocean splashes against the rocks
I try hard to be the one you desire and need
knowing in my efforts that it will never be
pray that a beautiful lady as you deserve will be yours
to hold, caress, cuddle, laugh, share all your days with
spend all your nights loving and caring for her
that she would love you as I would if you were mine
untill then the love and heart of this lady will be yours
Today is Thursday, June 7. I'm choosing this one by Linda Gregg.
Asking for Directions
We could have been mistaken for a married couple
riding on the train from Manhattan to Chicago
that last time we were together. I remember
looking out the window and praising the beauty
of the ordinary: the in-between places, the world
with its back turned to us, the small neglected
stations of our history. I slept across your
chest and stomach without asking permission
because they were the last hours. There was
a smell to the sheepskin lining of your new
Chinese vest that I didn't recognize. I felt
it deliberately. I woke early and asked you
to come with me for coffee. You said, sleep more,
and I said we only had one hour and you came.
We didn't say much after that. In the station,
you took your things and handed me the vest,
then left as we had planned. So you would have
ten minutes to meet your family and leave.
I stood by the seat dazed by exhaustion
and the absoluteness of the end, so still I was
aware of myself breathing. I put on the vest
and my coat, got my bag and, turning, saw you
through the dirty window standing outside looking
up at me. We looked at each other without any
expression at all. Invisible, unnoticed, still.
That moment is what I will tell of as proof
that you loved me permanently. After that I was
a woman alone carrying her bag, asking a worker
which direction to walk to find a taxi.
Asking for Directions
We could have been mistaken for a married couple
riding on the train from Manhattan to Chicago
that last time we were together. I remember
looking out the window and praising the beauty
of the ordinary: the in-between places, the world
with its back turned to us, the small neglected
stations of our history. I slept across your
chest and stomach without asking permission
because they were the last hours. There was
a smell to the sheepskin lining of your new
Chinese vest that I didn't recognize. I felt
it deliberately. I woke early and asked you
to come with me for coffee. You said, sleep more,
and I said we only had one hour and you came.
We didn't say much after that. In the station,
you took your things and handed me the vest,
then left as we had planned. So you would have
ten minutes to meet your family and leave.
I stood by the seat dazed by exhaustion
and the absoluteness of the end, so still I was
aware of myself breathing. I put on the vest
and my coat, got my bag and, turning, saw you
through the dirty window standing outside looking
up at me. We looked at each other without any
expression at all. Invisible, unnoticed, still.
That moment is what I will tell of as proof
that you loved me permanently. After that I was
a woman alone carrying her bag, asking a worker
which direction to walk to find a taxi.
june 6 2012
eyes
running and running
and running and running
and running and
running...
running and running
and running and running
and running and
running...........................
Written by Luna (Afflicted_Amber)
This poem really made my mind run. By the end I found myself chanting"RUN FATBOY RUN!"
eyes
running and running
and running and running
and running and
running...
running and running
and running and running
and running and
running...........................
Written by Luna (Afflicted_Amber)
This poem really made my mind run. By the end I found myself chanting"RUN FATBOY RUN!"
